HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI — UH Mānoa Chancellor Virginia S. Hinshaw has bestowed the 2009 Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Award on Ricardo Trimillos, a professor of Asian Studies and Ethnomusicology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Established by the UH Mānoa Graduate Division in 2005, the award allows graduate students to nominate faculty for excellent mentoring, one of the foundations of outstanding graduate education.

Trimillosʻ purview is broadly based expressive arts in their social environment. He has been a consultant to a number of governments—including the former Soviet Union, Malaysia, the Philippines and Hong Kong—in the area of arts and public policy. He has also served as a liaison, bringing indigenous Filipino musicians to national folk festivals in the United States.

Trimillos is a member and/or chair of over ten thesis and doctoral committees, and serves as advisor for the UH Mānoa Asian Studies Graduate Student annual conference. He has been an instrumental mentor for many graduate students since beginning his career at UH Mānoa. His ability to work with students in a customized way enhances their desire to learn, read and conduct research. He views his role as a UH Mānoa faculty member not only to teach the music of the worldʻs peoples and guide students to pursue a graduate degree, but to prepare them for a meaningful life.

His publications in three languages include articles on Asian Americans, world music in higher education, cross-cultural implications for the arts, interrelationships of the arts, Philippine ritual and Hawaiian music. He has also advised on writing dictionaries of Philippine music.

Trimillos will be recognized for his achievements along with other UH award recipients at the annual Convocation ceremony to be held September 15, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at Kennedy Theatre on the UH Mānoa campus. The ceremony is open to the public at no charge, and no reservations are needed. For more information on the awards ceremony, visit http://www.Hawaiʻi.edu/about/awards.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa serves approximately 20,000 students pursuing 225 different degrees. Coming from every Hawaiian island, every state in the nation, and more than 100 countries, UH Mānoa students matriculate in an enrichment environment for the global exchange of ideas. For more information, visit http://Mānoa.Hawaiʻi.edu.